Who — ask them a little about who they are. Break the ice. If you’re onstage, ask for a show of hands. “Who’s from Chicago?” Take the pressure off yourself. Next..

What — “and what industry are you in?” when you get the answer, you try to link it to something you’ve done in this field. That’ll interest them. They may ask a question.

When – “and how long have you guys been doing this?” same idea. Get them to open up. Create a dialogue.

Why — “and why did you move into this field, technology, product…?” keep it going. You lead the way with these nice easy questions, all the time linking in where you’ve worked, with whom, and what you think.

The key is to create a dialogue.

If you’re onstage:

Identify the ‘out-going’ types in the audience (hard to miss them) and create some interaction. These are your anchors. When things get rocky, you can bring them back in. They won’t mind. Ask their name and thank them.